I had the pleasure of working with Janet Sketchley on FellowScript for years, as she did the acquisitions for the newsletter and wrote a regular fiction column while I did the editing and layouot. She is a Canadian writer whose passion is Christian women’s suspense fiction. Her unpublished novel, Praying for the Enemy, was short-listed for the 2008 Best New Canadian Christian Author Award. She’s had over 80 articles, reviews and stories printed or reprinted.
TKM: How did you become a writer?
I’ve always loved stories, and spent a lot of my childhood either reading or imagining. A few times I started writing a novel, but never made it past the opening chapters. University dampened my desire to write, then I got married and life was too full. After I left a stressful job for the role of stay-at-home mom, there was no time for reading or any other creative outlets. Daydreaming kept me sane.
Then one day I got an idea I didn’t want to play out in my mind: what if you came face to face with a killer? The story wouldn’t leave me alone, so I began to write it out. It kept coming, and many revisions later I’m looking for a publisher for that manuscript and a second one.
TKM: What inspires you to write?
A snatch of remembered dream, fragment of a song, or just a cool “what-if” will drift around in my brain for a while, gathering other tidbits and possibilities, and when it won’t let go of me it’s time to get started. I’ve learned to do more exploratory planning before beginning the actual draft, because it makes for easier revisions.
TKM: What author do you admire and why?
There are so many, and I’m sure I’m forgetting someone key, but here goes:
- J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis, for creating novels that reveal new levels on subsequent readings and that “show,” rather than “tell,” us about God.
- Robert Jordan, for his detailed world-building and the epic scale of his Wheel of Time series.
- Timothy Zahn, for his twist endings and for the way he makes a fun science-fiction story richer with his understanding of tactics and psychology.
- Linda Hall, for neither avoiding nor sensationalizing the hard parts of her stories and for always providing a believable and satisfying ending that offers hope.
- Brandilyn Collins, for her “deep” point of view that takes readers on a fast-paced ride.
- J.K. Rowling, for her persistent belief in her story, for her use of foreshadowing in the early books, and for her composure when elements of the public were hostile.
- Madeleine L’Engle, because she valued truth and was not afraid to be herself even when she too faced hostility.
TKM: Can you share how long it took to write Heaven’s Prey and why it was a long process?
Janet: I hope this number doesn’t discourage anyone who’s just starting their writing journey, but it was almost 20 years from my earliest notes until the book released. That’s not 20 years of full-time writing. I wrote in spare moments with two toddlers, and took a year off with a new baby. Then there were several rewrites for me to fix my beginner’s mistakes, and I set it aside while writing another novel. I kept coming back to it, and I’m happy to have finally found a publisher who believed in the story enough to guide me through even more revisions.
TKM: The antagonist Harry Silver is a racing legend. Are you a race car fan or did you have to do a lot of research to write his character?
Janet: I took Harry as an excuse to indulge my curiosity about car racing. This was around the time that Canadian Jacques Villeneuve debuted in Formula 1, and I wanted to see how he’d do. It’s amazing how much research I picked up by osmosis. Harry only raced in North America, so I did need to learn specifics about stock car and Indy-style racing.
TKM: Can you give us a taste of the next Redemption’s Edge novel?
Janet: Secrets and Lies releases this fall. Heaven’s Prey mentions Harry’s sister, Carol, and this is her story. What would it be like to live with the public shame of having a dangerous offender for a brother? What if his enemies, who can’t get at him easily, decided to target Carol and her son? And what if this single mom had to handle all this in her own strength, because she was afraid to pray for help?
TKM: Do you have a daily writing schedule or do you write when inspired?
Janet: Part of why Heaven’s Prey took so long is that I only wrote when inspired and when I had extra time. I’m excited to have a contract for two more Redemption’s Edge novels, but that means I don’t have the luxury of waiting for inspiration. I’m finding it difficult to organize a schedule that lets me write and keep up with homemaking (and with life in general!) but daily writing and daily marketing and networking have to happen. Little chunks will add up
TKM: What was your favourite part of writing Heaven’s Prey? Your least favourite part?
Janet: My favourite parts were those rare moments when an entire scene or conversation would unfold in my imagination, and I’d be writing as fast as I could to get it down. And I loved the racing scenes. They were good, clean fun. Least favourite: that would be Harry’s violent scenes. I had to write them a bit at a time, and not too close to bedtime.
TKM: What advice would you give to other writers working on a novel?
Janet: Again, little chunks will add up. [smile] Persevere, keep learning, and develop connections with other writers. I think novels are like children, in the sense that we’ll likely “birth” one at a time, but we can go on to produce a large “family.” As novelists, our careers will build from one story to the next.
TKM: When you aren’t writing, what might we find you doing?
Janet: Not enough housework, despite my best intentions! I read a lot, cross-stitch and knit when I can, watch Doctor Who, drink tea… Lately my husband, one son and I have been watching the complete Babylon 5 series. Oh, and I confess that after years of avoidance I’m a happy member of a gym. I’ve discovered I like to run and to do Goodlife’s BodyPump classes. And I love music, especially Christian and Billy Joel. How’s that for a combination?
Thanks so much for reviewing Heaven’s Prey and for inviting me back to your blog to chat. I don’t know how you keep up with all you do, but I’m looking forward to reading your novel about Charlotte Small when it’s ready.
Check out my reviews of all three Redemption’s Edge novels:
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